The MSO Welcomes Return of Principal Pops Conductor Emeritus Doc Severinsen in DOC'S BACK!, Now thru 1/5

MILWAUKEE, WI -- The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra announces the return of Principal Pops Conductor Emeritus Doc Severinsen in Doc's Back! tonight, January 3-5, 2014, at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts with guest conductor Steven Reineke and soprano Ashley Brown. Doc performs Great American standards on trumpet in his signature style, including Georgia on My Mind, The Lady is a Tramp, and New York, New York.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Steven Reineke is the music director of the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, principal pops conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and principal pops conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Reineke is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra and has been on the podium with the Boston Pops, Cleveland Orchestra, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia. His extensive North American conducting appearances include Houston, San Francisco, Seattle, Edmonton, and Pittsburgh. As the creator of more than one hundred orchestral arrangements for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Reineke's work has been performed worldwide, and can be heard on numerous Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings on the Telarc label. His symphonic works Celebration Fanfare, Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Casey at the Bat are performed frequently in North America. A native of Ohio, Reineke is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio, where he earned bachelor of music degrees with honors in both trumpet performance and music composition. He currently resides in New York City with his partner Eric Gabbard.

Doc Severinsen launched his career with the big bands of the 1940s, playing with the Charlie Barnet Band and Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, among others. In 1962, Severinsen joined Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show," and five years later he became its music director, embarking on the position that was to make him a household name. Earning a reputation for quick-witted banter, flamboyant suits, and exceptional trumpet technique, Severinsen became as integral a part of the show's image as Ed McMahon's "Heeere's Johnny!" or Carson's trademark golf swing. When Johnny Carson stepped down in 1992, Severinsen continued to perform with jazz and big bands across the country-and turned to the symphony orchestra world where he launched a career as one of the nation's great pops conductors. In addition to his post in Milwaukee, he held positions with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, and Phoenix Symphony. Severinsen first appeared with the MSO in 1971 as a trumpet soloist in a concert led by Kenneth Schermerhorn. In addition to holding the principal pops post, Severinsen also earned accolades in 1992 when he joined Mel Torme, Maureen McGovern, and the MSO in "The Christmas Songs," which was broadcast nationwide on PBS.

Ashley Brown recently finished her run in Los Angeles in the title role in Disney's national tour of Mary Poppins where she garnered a 2010 Garland Award for Best Performance in a Musical. Ms. Brown originated the title role of Mary Poppins on Broadway for which she received Outer Critics, Drama League, and Drama Desk nominations for Best Actress. Ms. Brown's other Broadway credits include Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and she has starred in the national tour of Disney's On the Record. Ms. Brown has performed with many orchestras including the Boston Pops, the New York Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra at Disney Hall, the Pittsburgh Symphony opposite Shirley Jones, the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the Cincinnati Pops, the Indianapolis Symphony, and the BBC Orchestra opposite Josh Groban. Future projects include concerts at the Kennedy Center and with the New York Pops, Detroit, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, Memphis, and Houston orchestras. Ms. Brown recently made her cabaret debut to great acclaim at the renowned Feinstein's at the Regency in New York City. Ms. Brown's long-awaited debut album of American Songbook standards was released nationwide earlier this year on Ghostlight/Sony. Visit Ashley at ashleybrownonline.com.